X-ray film identification means

ABSTRACT

A material to identify images produced by X-rays or similar transmitting rays contains a layer absorbing the X-rays and has identifying markings impressed therein. According to the present invention the absorbing layer has indium as its main component.

United States Patent [191 Mika et a1.

[ X-RAY FILM IDENTIFICATION MEANS [75] Inventors: Norbert Mika; Peter H. Grassmann;

Wilhelm Reis, all of Erlangen, Germany [73] Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft,

Erlangen, Germany 22 Filedp 0a. 13, 1971 211 App1.No.: 190,467

[30] 2 Foreign Application Priority Data (ill ////I Feb.5,1974

2,162,420 6/1939 Buckley 250/67 1,168,177 1/1916 De Yoanna 250/67 1,912,464 6/1933 Powers 250/67 Primary Examiner-William F. Lindquist Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Richard & Geier; V. Alexander Scher [57] ABSTRACT A material to identify images produced by X-rays or similar transmitting rays contains a layer absorbing the 'X-rays and has identifying markings impressed therein. According to the present invention the absorbing layer has indium as its main component.

7 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures PATENTEUFEB 51974 3. 790.802-

' Fig.1

Fig.2

IINVEN'I'ORS N. ML Kcz, RHGrcLssmqnna M. Reds BY L a Wad-MM- ATTORNEss 1 X-RAY FILM IDENTIFICATION MEANS This invention relates to a material, nameplate and the like, to provide identification marks on images obtained by X-rays or similar transmitting rays. The material contains a layer which absorbs X-rays and in which the image markings are impregnated.

Materials of this type serve as illuminating stencils for X-ray films for the purpose of keeping a relation of the developed exposure to a specific object which was photographed and/or also to preserve dates of exposure.

Existing materials of this type consist of layers which contain lead. Since this element is relatively hard stamping devices are necessary to stamp ray transmitted markings from the lead sheet. Processes are also known wherein markings are impressed in layers of lead and when they are illuminated they produce an image raised from the surrounding. In this case also special devices are necessary for the marking. Since usually a small amount of personnel is available for the regular inscriptions and due to the substantial hardness of lead the known methods are limited to stamping and pressing devices and to indicating signals available in these devices.

An object of the present invention is to improve the described prior art devices.

Other objects will become apparent in the course of the following specification.

The present invention provides an indicating material which can be inscribed with any desired inscribing means, such as a typewriter, or any other usual writing implement, such as a ball point pen. According to the present invention the absorbing layer contains indium as its main component. Pure indium available in the trade was found to be quite suitable. However, it is also possible to use alloys and mixtures, for example, those wherein up to 25 percent of indium was replaced by lead and/or tin. Materials of this type have an absorption similar to lead at least in the range of the usual X-ray exposure rays of keV to 50 keV. Lead has, however, a Vickers hardness of 5 to 20 kp/mm as compared to indium which has a hardness of about 1 kp/mm. The thickness of the layer is not particularly critical, since its limiting thickness depends on the one hand, upon the emitting rays and on the writing instrument with which the indications are applied. The depth of the impressions of the indications depends upon the writing instrument.

To provide a better support the absorbing layer can be applied upon a supporting layer of paper or the like. It can extend over the inscribing area of a perforated card provided with treatment data, which, for example, can be placed ahead in the film during exposure and can be also inserted into the slide. To provide an easily inscribable area, the free outer surface of the indium layer can be covered by a bright, specifically white layer. Markings applied by a coloring writing material are optically particularly well effective thereon.

On the other hand the indium layer can be also applied upon a thin mechanically firm layer, such as a film strip of a band the free rear surface of which is provided with glue. Then an inscribing material isproduced which can be glued upon an X-ray film or the like and which will not be lost.

The invention will appear more clearly from the fol 2 lowing detailed description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing showing by way of example only, preferred embodiments of the inventive idea- In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a perspective partly sectional view of an indicating element wherein the indium layer is applied to a cardboard card and its outer surface is covered with a white pigment layer.

FIG. 2 is a perspective partly sectional view of a glue carrying band having an indium layer upon the side which is free from glue.

FIG. 1 shows a piece of an inscribing area of a treating data card (punch card), which has a cardboard base 1, an indium layer 2 and a white covering layer 3. FIG. 1 also shows a piece 4 of a ball point writer which is used as a tool for indicating markings impressed in the indium layer 2. This indium layer has a thickness of 0.1 mm. and is glued upon the cardboard 1 as a foil. To produce thewhite layer 3 which has a thickness of 30 to 50 pm, the free outer surface of the layer 2 is coated with a mixture of titanium dioxide as the white pigment, nitrocellulose as binder and butyl acetate as solvent.

FIG. 2 shows a cut out portion of a band having a glue layer 5, a carrier film 6 and an indium layer 7. The gluing layer has a thickness of 10 to 30 um and consists of methyl cellulose, while the carrier layer is 100 pm thick and consists of polyvinylchloride. The indium layer 7 has a thickness of 0.1 mm. As described in connection with FIG. 1, it canbe also covered with a layer corresponding to the layer 3 of FIG. 1 upon which the indicia will be clearly visible. Prior to being glued upon an X-ray film or after such gluing, the band can be inscribed in the manner indicated at 8 in FIG. 2.

, The term X-ray film is used herein to include'also such films which are enclosed in a light-tight covering and wherein the section of the band is glued upon the covering.

What is claimed is:

1. Material for identifying images produced by X- rays and the like, comprising a layer absorbing X-rays 4 and wherein the image markings are impressed, at least the major portion of said layer consisting of indium.

2. Material in accordance with claim 1, comprising a supporting layer carrying the first-mentioned layer, the first-mentioned layer being less than 0.2 mm thick.

3. Material in accordance with claim 2, wherein said supporting layer is the inscribing area of a treatment data card.

4. Material in accordance with claim 2, wherein said supporting layer is a film band of synthetic material having a layer of glue upon one'side and carrying the first-mentioned layer upon its opposite side.

5. Material in accordance with claim 1, comprising a coating adapted to clearly visualize the markings and covering the surface of the indium layer.

6. Material in accordance with claim 1, wherein said layer consists of at least percent indium, while the balance includes lead.

7. Material in accordance with claim 1, wherein said layer consists of at least 75 percentindium, while the balance includes tin.

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2. Material in accordance with claim 1, comprising a supporting layer carrying the first-mentioned layer, the first-mentioned layer being less than 0.2 mm thick.
 3. Material in accordance with claim 2, wherein said supporting layer is the inscribing area of a treatment data card.
 4. Material in accordance with claim 2, wherein said supporting layer is a film band of synthetic material having a layer of glue upon one side and carrying the first-mentioned layer upon its opposite side.
 5. Material in accordance with claim 1, comprising a coating adapted to clearly visualize the markings and covering the surface of the indium layer.
 6. Material in accordance with claim 1, wherein said layer consists of at least 75 percent indium, while the balance includes lead.
 7. Material in accordance with claim 1, wherein said layer consists of at least 75 percent indium, while the balance includes tin. 